“The average pastor’s job is harder than average,” Lyle Schaller once quipped. That’s especially true of the majority of American pastors who lead their churches alone. They face a variety of unique challenges that make their jobs especially difficult. How … Continue reading Overcoming Solo-Pastor Challenges | Influence Podcast
Solo pastors, whether full- or part-time, lead 56% of American churches, according to the 2015 National Congregations Study by Duke University researchers. Leading a church alone presents obvious challenges, as well as unexpected opportunities. Gary L. McIntosh examines both in … Continue reading The Solo Pastor | Book Review
When it comes to planting and revitalizing churches, rural America is a forgotten field. It faces a variety of demographic and economic challenges, and the rural pastorate often means bivocational ministry in small congregations. In consequence, rural ministry is not … Continue reading Effective Ministry in Small Rural Churches | Influence Podcast
The vast majority of churches in America are small. In the Assemblies of God, for example, 75 percent of all churches report fewer than 200 people in weekly attendance. Nearly 60 percent report fewer than 100. And nearly one-third report fewer than 50. Unfortunately, there are few books about how to lead a small church. Karl Vaters’ new book, Small Church Essentials is one of the best, and it’s both hopeful and helpful. (See my review here.) In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to Vaters about the unique challenges and opportunities facing small-church pastors. Vaters is teaching pastor … Continue reading How to Lead a Small Church | Influence Podcast
“Your church is big enough,” writes Karl Vaters in Small Church Essentials. “Right now. Today, at its current size.” Vaters’ statement goes against the grain of what many ministers have been taught, explicitly and implicitly, about church growth. “A healthy church will grow numerically,” they’ve been taught in so many words. “If yours isn’t growing, you’re doing something wrong. Here’s how to break the ____ barrier” (fill in the blank with a large number). The intent of this teaching is good, of course. Church growth aims at increasing a church’s size by increasing the number of people it wins to … Continue reading Small Church Essentials | Book Review
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